first dispatch from the conservatory of flowers

It’s hard to imagine an evening more lovely than the one we had last night at the San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers. We want to thank everyone there, especially Special Events and Programs Director Morgan Davis, as well as all of the readers and our artist, Tyler Iorillo, for an absolutely stunning, unforgettable experience. It’s hard to believe we get to do it all again next month!

Whether you were there or you missed it, you are sure to enjoy some of the photographs our friend Julie Michelle took:

[portfolio_slideshow size=large showtitles=true nav=top trans=fadeZoom]

Infinite thanks to Julie for those — do check her out! Watch the videos and read a couple of thoughts here, and here are a few things to recap:

In February, Quiet Lightning will not be in San Francisco but in Santa Cruz as part of the legendary Santa Cruz Poetry Festival, brought back to life—after a 30-year hiatus—by Daniel Yaryan of Sparring With Beatnik Ghosts. Stay tuned for more information.

We are reserving one spot in our October Litquake show: the golden ticket! Submissions are due with the rest of the submissions for our September 5 show, by the end of Wednesday, August 17th. Please stipulate if you are submitting for both Litquake and September 5 or, if only for one or the other, which one. Please see our Submissions Guidelines.

Thank you all so much for your support – both monetary and otherwise. Of the people who filled out the tally, 38 attendees had never been to Quiet Lightning before, and 31 had never been to the Conservatory. And 45 people came to the show on a friend referral!

If you were there, please send any suggestions and/or ideas on how we can make the September 5 show even better. Comment below. We are still looking for a visual artist for the books. Also, we will have live music during our litnic on the front lawn (!), so keep that in mind when you’re making your Labor Day plans. Free food, live music, and another outstanding literary journal (performed live, of course).

Tell a friend. And if you aren’t subscribed to get these posts via email, you can do that here.

Thanks again!

aug 1: the greenhouse effect

On Monday, August 1 Quiet Lightning and The Conservatory of Flowers present: The Greenhouse Effect, a summer reading series to be held inside the state’s first greenhouse. This marks the first series for Quiet Lightning and the first for The Conservatory, which was founded in 1878 and is a national historic landmark (not to mention the most beautiful building in San Francisco). The second show, which will include a picnic litnic on the front lawn, will take place on Labor Day (Sept 5), and the final show will be Oct 10 as part of Litquake.

We are thrilled to announce our readers for the first installment of the show, which features art by Tyler Iorillo and will begin promptly at 7:30pm. We do ask you to arrive at 7, though, to make sure you get all of the handouts (there will be several for this series, and they’re not all paper).

It’s hot and humid in the conservatory; dress for the occasion! Bring a bag and a change of clothes, if you like. We think it’d be cool if everyone wears white! But you don’t have to.

We are suggesting a $5 donation, but no one will be turned away for lack of funds. Also, no one will be penalized for donating extra.

The Conservatory of Flowers | Aug 1 | 100 John F Kennedy Dr | 7pm | Directions*

*Parking and Directions:

Be green and ride your bike, or take the 5, 6, 7, 21, 33, 44, 71 or N-Judah Muni lines. Parking is available in the Dahlia Garden Circle or along John F. Kennedy Drive. Bike racks are available in the Dahlia Garden Circle, or just west of the Conservatory platform on Conservatory Way. [http://www.conservatoryofflowers.org/visit/directions]

hi beautiful. thanks for last night… smell the flowers?

last night was epic! thanks to everyone who came and brought food to the litnic, and especially to the emerald tablet for being such wonderful hosts. don’t think many people will be forgetting that one any time soon!

thanks to jonathan hirsch and asterisk magazine for this considerate profile on quiet lightning

ready? from north beach to golden gate park, here we go!

monday august 1 begins

The Greenhouse Effect: Summer Reading Series

in conjunction with

The Conservatory of Flowers

100 john f kennedy dr

$3 gets you in!

not sure if you can smell the eucalyptus, or feel the breeze between sequoia leaves from where you read this, but that and much more awaits you right around the corner and on the other side of the door…

submit any form of writing by thursday july 14 to be considered for this show and the third show in the series, a featured litquake event on october 10 (we’re making both shows out of the same batch of subs)

the second show will be sept 5, labor day… you know what that means!

litnic on the front lawn (see picture above)

band and food truck, too

all shows will have hand-crafted beer for sale, details TBA

this is the first-ever series at the Conservatory of Flowers, the first greenhouse in California

it’s going to be steamy!

wear white

heroes and fireworks, flowers

boy o girl, do we have a show lined up for you!

monday, june 6 bring $5 to get into 111 minna gallery to see a group of writers you’ll never see together again:

tamim ansary

jack boulware

rob brezsny

meg day

jane ganahl

steven gray

graham gremore

caitlin myer

d.a. powell

william taylor jr.

 

also bring extra dollars to take home some artwork by Paul Madonna. he’s the artist for this month’s sPARKLE & bLINK:

we are accepting submissions for our july 4 litnic/reading/firework blowout show, which will be in a private location in north beach (we’ll meet in washington square park). the deadline for art and writing of any kind is wednesday, june 15 and you should send submissions to lightning@evankarp.com.

we are also thrilled to announce that our august 1 show will be held at the conservatory of flowers! actually, this will be our first-ever series: aug, sept (labor day) and oct will all be at the conservatory, with a labor day litnic on the front lawn and the october show a featured litquake event, monday the 10th! stay tuned for more information.

but more than anything you should get excited for june 6! in anticipation, we’ll be featuring a preview video every day in the top left/right corner of our website (see?).

heroes! fireworks! flowers!

—ql